greydoorbooks

We're moving

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:46:00 +0000

We're moving the blog to www.greydoorblog.com

GreyDoorBooks New This Week

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:23:00 +0000

newthis week

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GreyDoorBooks Voice #18

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:41:00 +0000

Issue #18 is out now!

Member Offer:

Shadowrise : Book 3 of the Shadowmarch series by Tad Williams, on sale for $25.99

Coming Soon

Next Month - Available for Preorder

A Tapestry of Spells - Nine Kingdoms Book 4 - Lynn Kurland- $19.95

The Burning Life - Eve - Hjalti Danielsson - $59.99

Jordan - Pendragon Legacy Book 3 - Susan Kearney - $14.99

The Deed of Paksenarrion - OMNIBUS - Elizabeth Moon - $22.99

Next 3 Months

Absorption - Ragnarok Book 1 - John Meaney

Salute the Dark - Adrian Tchaikovsky

Moon Sworn - Riley Jenson Guardian Book 9 - Keri Arthu

Bullet - Anita Blake Book 19 - Laurell K Hamilton

Next 6 Months

Grimblades - Warhammer:Empire Arm - Nick Kyme

By Midnight- - Ravenwood Book 1 - Mia James

Stone Spring- Stephen Baxter

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #38

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:16:00 +0000

Issue #38 -- Mar. 11, 2010

"Sanji's Demon, Pt. I," by Richard Parks

I didn't have to ask whom he meant, but it seemed that Daiki, in this one regard, was not going to get his wish. The bushi produced two flea-bitten, scruffy men. Both were bruised and bloody but alive. Two more were not. Daiki kicked the body so that it rolled face up and studied the dead man's features. "It would seem the bandit has escaped me after all."

"In Memoriam," by Alys Sterling

I felt it, or rather Gaumont's body did, and with such force that it took me a moment to throw it off, a sudden desperation not to see what lay beneath that heavy drape of fabric. Yet I watched eagerly as the hands drew back the folds of grey material to reveal a granitic face, human in form, but so frozen that its wrinkles might have been carved from stone.

Eight Simple Rules

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Over at SciFi Scanner, Mary Robinette Kowal has defined 8 simple rules to follow when discussing fantasy;

1. What are the sub-genres?

Everyone thinks they know what fantasy is, and immediately turn to elves and magic. Fantasy is broader than that. You can talk about steampunk, dark fantasy and epic fantasy but the thing that all fantasy has in common is that it breaks the rules of nature in some form. There are some movies, like Big Fish (2003), which look like fantasy, but aren't. It's good to know the difference.

Read the rest of the rules here.

Fanfic

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:39:00 +0000

What is fanfic? Do you need to remove the parental controls to view it?

Fan fiction (alternately referred to as fanfiction, fanfic, FF, or fic) is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator. Works of fan fiction are rarely commissioned or authorized by the original work's owner, creator, or publisher; also, they are almost never professionally published. Fan fiction, therefore, is defined by being both related to its subject's canonical fictional universe and simultaneously existing outside the canon of that universe.Most fan fiction writers assume that their work is read primarily by other fans, and therefore tend to presume that their readers have knowledge of the canon universe (created by a professional writer) in which their works are based. [...]

Check out what Patrick Rothfuss has to say about it here.

How To Predict The Future

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:46:00 +0000

Cory Doctorow has an interesting article in the latest edition of Locus Online on how to predict the future;

When confronted with a new technology and asked to predict its application, it's tempting to look for existing, unsolved problems to which the technology might apply. For example, in a notorious early ad for personal computing, Honeywell depicted a satisfied, modish hausfrau cheerfully setting the dip-switches on her kitchen's PC in order to recall recipes. It's easy to follow their thinking: Computers are used by giant companies to store and manipulate files in the workplace. What files do housewives have to store and manipulate? Recipes!

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #37

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:03:00 +0000

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #37 includes;

"A Skirt of Many Colors," by Catherine Mintz

I go further in, to the ghosts. The first ghost is the ghost of the Boots. They are two holes in the wave of stone that half-fills a room of the old house. No telling who felt inside the pair of holes and found they were the shape of the inside of a boot. If you slide your feet into them—first checking that nothing has gotten there first—you can ask the ghost for a wish.

"Pale," by Kathryn Allen

There's always a woman. And she plays her part, one way or the other. “The stranger’ll come for you,” I tell her, trying to tip-toe round the vulgarity. Whether it’s The Marshal or The Hired Gun, the innocent’s champion gets the woman. He’ll be good to her, but she’ll never forget, never be quite the same when he rides away.

Greydoorbooks Voice #17

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:43:00 +0000

Hurry! Last days for the February Member offer

New & notable this week include;

Circle of Desire | Keri Arthur | Damask Circle Book 3 | $19.99

Knees Up Mother Earth | Robert Rankin | The Brentford Trilogy Book 7 | $22.99

Heritage of the Xandim | Maggie Furey | Chronicles of the Xandim Book 1 | $24.99

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms | NK Jemisin | Inheritance Book 1 | $19.99

plus more here

Minas Tirith: Like you've never seen before...

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:33:00 +0000

Did you think Minas Tirith looked good in the movie?

Nearly as good as you imagined while reading The Return Of The King?

Maybe better?

Did you ever feel the need to create a model of it yourself?

Maybe?

What about creating a model of the city out of matchsticks?

Definitely not. Unless your name is Patrick Acton.

Read more here

The Technician

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:52:00 +0000

What do you think of the cover art for Neal Asher's new book, The Technician?

The Best Advice For New Writers

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:50:00 +0000

A gem from Patrick Rothfuss;

Pat,

I know you're busy, so I won't take up much of your time. I want to be a writer (Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to read anything of mine.)

I was just wondering if you have any advice for new writers. Just one piece would be really helpful…

Love the book,

Becky

Heya Becky,

Over the last few years, I've heard this question a lot. It comes up in e-mails and interviews with clockwork regularity.

Despite that, it's a question I never mind answering. I like giving advice, and I like talking about writing. So this one's a twofer for me.

That said, my answer tends to change. If I'm reading something that irritates me, my advice might center around how to avoid that particular irritation. Sometimes it just depends on my mood, or what I'm working on in my own revisions.

The Specusphere : New Issue

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:52:00 +0000

New issue out now

Our editorial takes on the thorny question of what to do about self-publishers who by-pass editors.

“… if a novel has not been edited then it is, essentially, nothing more than a glorified manuscript-in-progress …”

Also:

Our reviewers give their opinion about what they thought were the best books of 2009
Brendan Carson gives us more other-worldly cogitation
Alan Baxter wonders about the iPad
Damien Kane speculates on the imagination

In other sections, Astrid Cooper enthralls us with chats and interviews with people of the genre: Sue Bursztynski, Malcolm Walker, Erica Hayes and Edwina Harvey. Damien Kane talks about what makes his writing tick, and Stephen Turner leads us further along the Hero's Journey. There's another two editions of the humorous flash fiction series by Yusuf Martin.
And of course there's Satima's amazing reviews section, which even Australian publishers read. It's said by some to be the best reviews section in an Australian web magazine.

There's something for everybody at The Specusphere.

Volunteers
We are always on the lookout for volunteers, be it to help edit the reviews, proofread articles, start a new section or take over an old one. How about taking charge of our news desk? What about running this bulletin? Or writing editorials? Or being a blog liaison person - now there's a job for an enterprising editor.
Readers have recently suggested we:

Create the capacity for readers to comment on articles
Have a regular comic section
Have a gallery page for artists and graphic designers

Yes, we'd like to do all the above, but we need people to turn the idea into something practical.

Click here to read the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of The Specusphere.

Next issue: 4 April 2010

A Dance With Dragons : Update

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:40:00 +0000

"Not Done Yet" is the title of the latest post from George R R Martin. But what has he been up to?

But I've left the Isle of Cedars behind, at least. 1261 pages and counting.

The timeline of this monster is going to drive me mad. I know perfectly well that as soon as DANCE is published, some of you out there are going to attempt to correlate its chronology with that of A FEAST FOR CROWS, fit all the parts together to suggest an appropriate chapter order for a (hypothetical, and largely impossible) combined book, something like what the "Big Feast" might have been, before the split.

New This Week @ Greydoorbooks

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:24:00 +0000

New this week @ greydoorbooks

Sons Of Liberty : Metal Gear Solid 2

Princeps Fury : Codex Alera Book 2

Plus heaps more....

Hyperfiction Is Here

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:47:00 +0000

"What the hell is hyperfiction?", you ask.

Well, in the words of Elizabeth Bear

I'm currently engaged in a crowdfunded side project with a group of other SFF writers and visual artists (and a computer geek or two) that's attempting to explore some of the options for things a web-optimized written narrative can do. That narrative (what we're calling a "hyperfiction environment") is called Shadow Unit.

Still confused? Check out a a more detailed explanation here

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #36

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:35:00 +0000

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #36 is now out.

Issue #36 -- Feb. 11, 2010

"To Slay with a Thousand Kisses," by Rodello Santos

Her age was impossible to say, for her face was crusted with muck and roots. Her teeth were like kernels of mottled corn. She was naked, her skin textured like stone, gray and gravelly. Wet, bulbous mushrooms grew in the moss around her womanly crevice. Her reek nearly brought me to my knees.

"The Motor, the Mirror, the Mind," by T.F. Davenport

"When you sat down so suddenly, the movement caused an infinitesimal trauma to the flesh in your head. In that chaos, a few of the tiny creatures that compose your brain were killed. Are you sad for them? Or do you only care about them so long as they provide you with movement, emotions, the mirrors that reflect my mind in yours?"

Greydoorbooks' February Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:08:00 +0000

Check out Greydoorboks' February newsletter here;

Voice #15 February 2010

What you'll get;

February Members offer
New this month
Coming soon

The Prodigal Mage

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:17:00 +0000

A brief description of The Prodigal Mage by Karen Miller;

"Some seventeen years have passed since the defeat of the sorcerer Morg and the destruction of Barl's Wall: the last great Mage War, as the conflict is now known. It has been a time of great change. In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, one small exploratory expedition set out to cross the mountains, its aim being to discover who lived on the other side. But contact was lost with those brave folk - and they never returned. All these years later, Asher and Dathne are still living in Dorana City, with their children, Rafel and Deenie. The family is torn apart over the decision to cross the mountains or remain part of their insular society. Much to Asher's chagrin, Rafel defies him and sets out on the journey over the mountains. When his expedition also goes missing, Asher is once again brought into the midst of an epic struggle."

The Prodigal Mage is the focus the Greydoorbooks February Members Offer

Amazon v Macmillan Update II

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:26:00 +0000

Charles Stross has posted an update on the Amazon debacle;

"As of this morning, five days later, my own Tor books are still not available from Amazon. I'm hearing lots of reports from other Tor authors, too.

Amazon lied.

They lied about other things, too; in their press release they lied like a rug about Macmillan's negotiating position, mischaracterising it in the worst possible light from the point of view of onlookers. They lied by falsely positioning themselves as the defenders of cheap $9.99 ebooks and Macmillan as some kind of capitalist oppressor; the truth is that many ebooks sold via Kindle cost well over $9.99, while Macmillan were proposing to sell some titles for under $6."

Oscar !!!

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:15:00 +0000

Well it's that time of the year again. Everyone in Hollywood dresses up to walk along various pieces of red carpeting.

As John Scalzi has reported;

"Avatar racked up nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, District 9 found its way to four nominations including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, and Star Trek also picked up four nods in technical categories. Oh, andTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen got one, in Sound Mixing, to go with its seven Razzie nominations"

But what about all those great sci fi movies which were snubbed? Can't think of any? i09 has a list;

Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Brazil, Aliens, Pan's Labyrinth, Shadow of the Vampire, The Exorcist, Gods and Monsters, 2001 : A Space Odyssey and Ghostbusters. (Yes, Ghostbusters. Tell me you're not singing the song right now in your head).

Read the article here

iPad = iPoo ?

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:02:00 +0000

Sorry.

I saw this headline and just had to put on the blog.

Read this author's review of the iPad;

"The internet has spoken, and it's not as impressed as it wanted to be with the latest release from Apple - the iPad.

The general consensus - it's an overgrown iPhone."

More here

February Free Book Offer to GreyDoorBooks Members

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:08:00 +0000

Jump here for the offer

Neal Asher : Thoughts on ebooks

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:22:00 +0000

Neal Asher has posted his thoughts on ebooks and how they will change the industry;

The ebook market is going to grow, every time someone buys a Kindle or an Ipad or any other the other readers out there, that’s a dead tree customer gone. This is not like the fight between Betamax and VHS, since with them the information, the entertainment, was a physical product that wasn’t interchangeable. The makers of these readers will try (using stuff like DRM), initially, to corner the market for their e-reader, but it is a losing battle.

Read more here.

What do you think?

Would you be willing to give up the physical feel of 'real' books?

Would you want your library connected to the net? Arbitrary book deletions have already occurred on the Kindle, perpetrated by Amazon;

In a move that angered customers and generated waves of online pique,Amazon remotely deleted some digital editions of the books from the Kindle devices of readers who had bought them.

Amazon v Macmillan Update

noreply@blogger.com (gdb) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:58:00 +0000

From the New York Times;

Amazon.com has surrendered, at least for now, in its mounting battle with book publishers over the price of electronic books.

On Friday afternoon, Amazon.com shocked the publishing world when it pulled both the digital and physical books of Macmillan, the large international publisher, after Macmillan said it planned to begin setting higher consumer prices for its e-books. Until now, Amazon has been setting e-book prices itself, and has established $9.99 as the common price for new releases and best sellers.